.,..% 


ORDERS 


ip  inr 


MILITARY  BOARD 


F    THE 


STATE   OF    MISSISSIPPI 


Printed  by  Order  of  the  Military  Board, 

* . — 


JACKSON: 

MISMSSJITL'N    feOQK   A\I>   job    PRINTING    OFFIci. 

1361. 


ORDERS 


OF    THE 


MILITARY  BOARD 


OF   THS 


STATE   OF    MISSISSIPPI. 


Printed  by  Order  of  the  Military  Board. 


JACKSON: 

K.  BAI5KSDALE,   STATE   I'RIKTIHt. 
1861. 


g&fli*  0!  ft*  pilifaiuj  §mk 


The  Board  Laving  under  consideration  an  Ordinance  of 
the  State  Convention  entitled  "An  Ordinance  to  regulate 
the  Military  system  of  th  of  Mississippi,"  made  the 

following  orders  ;  to-wit : 


ORGANIZATION. 

1st.     Ordered    That  the  fifth   and   eighth  K  -   of 

Infantry  or  Riflemen  shall  constitute  the  1st  Brigade,  and 
be  assigned  to  the  command  of  Brigadier-General  Yan 
Dorn.  That  the  3rd  and  7th  Regiments  shall  consti- 
tute the  2nd  Brigade,  and  be  assigned  to  the  command  of 
Brigadier-General  Clark.  That  the  4th  and  Oth  Regiments 
shall  constitute  the  3rd  Brigade,  and  be  assigned  to  the 
command  of  Brigadier-General  Alcorn  ;  w-d  that  the  1st 
and    2nd   Regiments  shall  constitute  ide,  and 

be  assigned  to  the  command  of  I-  tt. 


2nd.     Ordered,  That  wLcnevc.   tl  « 

required  by  the  provi 
org;   •  .  into  a  com}': 

Army  oi    V  they    shall    be   r  .  by 

balk  .  urce  .Lieu  port  the 

fact  oi 
th  c  v 

el  ection  has  been  duly 

t  0  the  m  :ccds  to  make  the  in 

s  pection  preparatory   to  the  and  said  evidence 

shall  be  transmitted,  together  with  the  muster   roll,  to  the 


Adjutant-General  of  the  Army  of  Mississippi,  and  be  the 
authority  on  which  commissions  shall  be  issued;  and  that 
when  ten  companies  within  a  Regimental  District  shall  be 
mustered  into  service,  the  General  Commanding  the  Army 
of  Mississippi  shall  order  an  election,  by  ballot,  of  the 
Meld  Officers  of  such  Regiment,  and  prescribe  the  time 
and  place,  or  places,  for  holding  the  same. 

3rd.  Ordered,  That  whenever  any  company  which  is 
now,  or  may  be  hereafter  organized,  and  ready  to  enter  the 
service  of  the  Army  of  Mississippi  according  to  the  provis- 
ions of  the  Ordinance  of  the  State  Convention,  entitled 
"An  Ordinance  to  regulate  the  Military,  system  of  the  State 
of  Mississippi,"  shall,  by  communication  addressed  to  the 
Governor  of  the  State,  tender  their  services  as  a  part  of 
the  Army  of  Mississippi,  they  will  be  inspected  and  must- 
ered in  wTith  the  least  delay,  and  if  received  into  the  service, 
the  rank  of  its  officers  will  take  date  from  the  day  when  its 
organization  was  completed,  as  prescribed  by  said  Ordi- 
nance. Provided,  that  no  commission  shall  bear  date  ante- 
rior to  that  of  the  passage  of  the  Ordinance  ;  and  if  two 
or  more  companies  have  the  same  date  the  relative  rank  of 
the  officers  of  the  same  grade  shall  be  determined  by  for- 
mer commissions,  or  if  there  be  no  .former  commissions, 
then  by  lot; 

STAFF  DEPARTMENTS. 

Uh.  Ordered,  That  there  shall-be  one  Adjutant  and  In- 
spector-General, who  shall  be  chief  of  staff,  with  the  rank 
of  Colonel.  One  Assistant  Adjutant  and  Inspector-General, 
with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant- Colonel  ;  and  four  with  the 
rank  of  Major. 

There  shall  be  one  Chief  of  Ordnance,  with  the  rank  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel.  There  shall  *  be  one  Quarter-Master- 
General,  who  shall  also  be  Commissary  and  Pay-Master- 
General,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel  ;  five  assistant  Quarter- 
Master's,  who  shall  also  be  assistant  Commissaries  and  Pay- 
Masters,  wit'j  the  rank  of  Majors  ;  and  one  assistant  Quar- 
ter-Master, who  shall  also  be  assistant  Commissary  and 
Pay-Master,  for  each  Regiment,  with  the  rank  of  Captain. 
That  there  shall  be  one  Surgeon  General,  and  one  Surgeon 
and  one  assistant  Surgeon  to  each  Regiment. 


PERSONAL  STAFF. 

That  the  Division  staff  shall  consist  of  two  Aids-de- 
Camp,  with  the  rank  of  Major.  The  Brigade  staff  shall 
consist  of  one  Aid-de-Camp  to  each  Brigadier-General,  with 
the  rank  of  Captain.  The  Regimental  staff  shall  consist 
of  one  Adjutant,  one  Sergeant-Major  and  one  Quarter-Mas- 
ter-Sergeant. 

ARMS  AND  TACTICS. 

5lh.  Ordered,  That  the  arm  known  as  the  Mississippi 
Rifle,  with  the  Sabre  bayonet,  be  adopted  for  the  Infantry 
of  Mississippi,  and  the  same  will  be  furnished,  as  far  as 
practicable,  to  all  foot  companies.  That  the  ten  companies 
of  Cavalry  shall  be  organized  into  five  squadrons,  two 
of  which  shall  be  armed  with  Colt's  Pistols  and  Sabres, 
and  three  with  Colt's  Pistols  and  Maynard's  Carbine. — 
That   the   Artillery  shall  be  armed  with  ordB  and 

Colt's  repeating  Army  Pistols. 

6/£.  Ordered,  That  ''Hardee's  Light  Infantry  Tactics," 
be  adopted  for  Infantry  or  Riflemen,  except  that  no  other 
method  of  firing  shall  be  used  than  that  of  firing  by  lile, 
or  at  will.  That  "Poinsett's  Cavalry  Tactics,"  be  adopted 
for  Cavalry,  and  that  "Instructions  for  Field  Artillery ," 
(prepared  by  a  Board  of  Artillery  officers,  and  published 
in  Philadelphia  by  J.  P.  Lippincott  &  Co.,  i860,)  be  adopt- 
ed for  Artillery  ;  and  that  one  hundred  copies  of  Light 
Infantry  Tactics,  fifteen  copies  of  Cavalry,  and  fifteen 
copies  of  Artillery  Tactics,  be  purchased  for  the  purpose 
of  distribution  among  the  officers  of  the  Army. 

RULES  AND  REGULATIONS. 

1th.  Ordered.  That  the  ''Rules  and  Articles  of  war,  and 
regulations,  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States,"  so  far  as 
consistent  with  the  laws  of  the  State  and  with  the  orders 
of  the  Military  Board,  be  adopted  temporarily,  for  the 
Government  of  the  Army  of  Mississippi,  except  those  which 
authorize  the  flogging  of  soldiers  ;  and  that  wherever  the 
words  ''United  States"  occur  in  said  articles  or  regulations, 
the  words  "the  State  of  Mississippi"  shall  be  substituted, 
and  wherever  the  words   "the  President,"  or  "Secretary  of 


War"  arc  used,  the  words  "the  Governor  of  the  State  of 
Mississippi"  shall  be  substituted. 

And  that  the  Military  Board  constituted  by  the  Ordi- 
nance of  Mississippi,  shall,  as  circumstances  will  permit, 
further  revise  and  prepare  for  publication,  needful  articles 
and  regulations  for  the  government  of  the  Army  of  Mis- 
sissippi. 

UNIFORM  AND  EQUIPMENTS. 

all  officers  shall  wear  a  frock  coat  of 
grey  cloth,  the  skirt  to  extend  from  rwo-lhirds  to  three- 
fourths  of  the  distance  from  the  top  of  the  hip  to  the  bend 
of  tb"  krree  ;  single-breasted  for  Captains  and  Lieutenants  ; 
^     double-breasted  for  all  other 

That   the   Major-Genera]'!  hall  have   two  rows  of 

buttons,  ch  row,  ;  1  equal  distances  from 

each  other  ;  the  distance  between  the  rows  to  be  live  and  a 
half  inches  at  top,  and  three  and  a  half  inches  at  bottom. 
Collar,  stand  up,  and  to  be  made  of  black  velvet  with  an 
embroidered  gilt  star  on  each  side,  three  fourths  of  an  inch 
in  diameter,  cuffs  of  the  same  material  as  the  coat,  two  and 
one  half  inches  deep,  to  go  around  the  sleeves  parallel  with 
the  lower  edge,  and  to  button  with  three  small  buttons  at 
the  under  seam  ;  pockets  in  the  folds  of  the  skirts,  with  one 
button  at  the  hip,  and  one  at  the  end  ol  each  pocket,  making 
four  buttons  on  the  back  and  skirt  of  the  coat,  the  hip  but- 
ton to  range  with  the  lowest  buttons  on  the  breast. 

For  a  Brigadier-General,  the  same  as  for  Major- General, 
^except  that  the  star  shall  be  silver  instead  of  gilt. 

For  a  Colonel,  same  as  for  Brigadier- General, except  that 
V  the  cuffs  and  collars  shall  be  of  black  cloth,  and  both  collar 
/  and  cuffs  bound  witli  gold  lace  instead  of  the  star  on  the 
(      collar,  the  gold  lace  to  be  one  half  an  inch,  wide. 

For  Lieutenant-Colonel  and  Major,  same  as  for  Colonel. 

For  a  Captain,  the  same  as  for  Colonel,  except  that  the 
collar  and  cuffs  shall  be  crimson  for  Infantry  or  Biflemen, 
yellow  lor  Cavalry,  and  orange  for  Artillery.  The  coat 
single  breasted,  with  one  row  otnine  buttons,  and  with  silk 
braid  of  the  same  color  as  the  facings  of  the  corps,  running 
side  from  the  buttons,  the  top  braid  extending  five 
inches,  and  the  bottom  one  two  inches,  and  the  intermediate 
braids  graduated  from  the  one  to  the  other,  according  to 
pattern  in  the  Quarter-Master's  Department. 

For  Lieutenant,  same  aft  for  Captain. 


For  enlisted  men,  the  same  as  for  Captain,  except  that 
the  braid  shall  be  of  worsted. 

For  fatigue,  a  red  flannel  shirt  with  a  star  of  white  on 
each  side  of  the  collar,  for  Infantry  or  Riflemen,  a  <*rey 
flannel  shirt  for  Artillery,  and  blue  for  Cavalry. 

BUTTONS. 

Hereafter  to  be  determined  or  selected. 

TKOWSERS. 

Grey  for  both  officers  and  men,  loosely  made  and  gath- 
ered in  the.  waistband,  and  fitting  neatly  over  the  foot,  with 
stripes  as  follows,  viz  : 

For  Major- General,  a  black  cord  down  the  outer  seam. 

For  Brigadier-General,  the  same  as  for  Major-General. 

For  Colonel,  Lieutenant- Colonel  and  Major,  a  stripe  of  ^^ 
black  cloth  one  inch  wide.  •  y 

For  Captains,  Lieutenants  and  men,  a  stripe  one  inch 
wide,  of  the  color  of  the  facings  of  their  respective   corps. 

HAT. 

A  broad  brimmed  black  felt  hat,  to  be  looped  upon  three 
sides,  when  on  parade,  to  be  ornamented  with  cord,  tassel 
and  plume's,  as  herein  tned,  according  to  grade  ;  the 

plumes  to  be  made  of  horse  hair. 

For  Major- General,  a  long  flowing  white  plui 

For  Brigadier-General,  the  same  as  ; or-General, 

except  it  shall  be  red, tipped  with  white. 

Regimental  Field  and  Staff  "Officers,  3  for  Major- 

General,  except  that  the  plume  shall  be  all  crimson,  with  a 
gilt  number  of  the  Regiment  placed  below  the  plume 
socket. 

For  Captains,  Lieutenants  and  men.  the  same  as  for 
Major- General,  except  that  the  plume  shall  be  short  and 
standing,  and  of  the  color  of  the  facings  of  their  dress, 
with  a  yellow  metal  number  of  their  Regiments  below  the 
plume  socket. 

The  cords  and  tassels  of  the  hat  to  be  gold  for  all  com- 
missioned officers,  and  worsted  for  all  non-commissioned 
officers  and  men,  of  the  color  of  the  facings  of  their  dress, 
brass  letter  below  the  plume  socket. 


J 


SPURS   AND  GLOVES. 

Spurs,  brass  or  gilt ;  Gloves,  white  for  officers  on  foot, 
and  gauntlets  for  all  mounted  officers. 

SASH. 

For  all  officers  shall  be  of  net  crimson  silk  or  worsted. 

SWORD  BELT. 

For  all  officers,  a  waist  belt  not  less  than  one  and  one 
half  inches,  nor  more  than  two  inches  wide  ;  to  be  worn 
over  the  sash  ;  the  sword  to  be  suspended  from  it  by  slings 
of  the  same  material  as  the  belt,  with  a  hook  attached  to 
the  belt  upon  which  the  sword  may  be  hung. 

For  all  officers,  black  leather,  plain  or  enameled. 

For  all  non-commissioned  officers  and  men,  black  leather, 
plain. 

SWORD  BELT  PLATE. 

For  all  officers,  a  plain  clasp  of  gilt  or  brass. 
For  all  non-commissioned  officers  and  men,  a  plain  brass 
buckle. 

SWORD  AND  SCABBARD.    . 

P  Forjall  officers,  straight  or  slightly  curved  ;  scabbard,  of 
steel  or  black  leather,  with  yellow  mountings. 

SWORD  KNOTS. 

For  all  officers,  a  leather  plaited  cord  with  leather 
tassel. 

EPAULETS. 

For  Major-General,  gold,  with  solid  crescent,  device,  one 
gold  star,  one  and  one  half  inches  in  diameter,  placed  on 
the  strap  in  the  centre  of  the  crescent ;  dead  and  light 
gold  bullion,  one  half  inch  in  diameter,  and  three  and  one 
half  inches  long. 


s/ 


For  a  Brigadier- General,  the  same  as  for  Major  General, 
except  that  the  star  shall  be  silver. 

For  Colonel,  the  same  as  for  Major-General,  except  that 
a  gold  crescent  one  and  one  half  inches  from  point  to  point 
shall  be  substituted  for  the  star.. 

For  Lieutenant- Colonel,  the  same  as  for  the  Colonel, 
except  that  there  shall  be  a  gold  embroidered  leaf  instead 
of  the  crescent. 

For  Major,  the  same  as  for  the  Lieutenant  Colonel,  except 
that  the  embroidered  leaf  shall  be  of  silver. 

For  Captain,  the  same  as  for  Colonel,  except  that  the 
bullion  shall  be  one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  two 
and  one-half  inches  long,  and  substituting  two  embroidered 
gold  bars  instead  of  the  crescent. 

For  1st  Lieutenant,  the  same  as  for  Captain,  except  that 
the  bullion  shall  be  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and 
one  bar  instead  of  two. 

For  2d  and  3d  Lieutenants,  the  same  as  for  1st  Lieuten- 
ants, except  that  there  shall  be  no  bar. 

Epaulets  may  pe  dispensed  with  when  ordered  by  the 
Major  General. 

SHOULDER  STRAPS. 

For  all  officers — of  dark  blue  cloth,  one  and  three-eighth 
inches  wide,  by  four  inches  long,  and  bordered  with  an  em- 
broidery of  gold  one  quarter  ofV'nn  inch  wide,  and  orna- 
mented with  the  device  prescribed  for  the  epaulets  of  each 
grade  of  officers. 

CHEVRONS. 

The  rank  of  non-commissioned  officers  will  be  marked  by 
chevrons  upon  both  sleeves  of  the  uniform  coat  and  over- 
coat above  the'  elbow,  of  silk  or  worsted  binding  one-half 
an  inch  wide,  same  color  as  the  edging  on  the  coat,  points 
down;  as  follows : 

For  a  Sergeant-Major,  three  bars  and  an  arc,  in  silk. 

For  a  Quarter-Master  Sergeant,  three  bars  and  a  tie,  in 
silk. 

For  Ordnance  Sergeant,  three  bars  and  a  star,  in  silk. 

For  a  1st  Sergeant,  three  bars  and  a  lozenge,  in  worsted. 

For  a  Sergeant,  three  bars,  in  worsted. 

For  a  Corporal,  two  bars,  in  worsted. 

All  non-commissioned  officers,  musicians  and  privates, 
who  have  served  faithfully  in  any  previous  war  of  the  late 
Federal  Union,  will  wear  as  a  mark   of  distinction,  upon 


If 

both  sleeves  of  the  uniform  coat,  below  the  elbow,  a  diago- 
nal half  chevron,  one-half  an  inch  wide,  extending  from 
seam  to  seam,  the  front  end  nearest  the  cuff,  and  one-half  an. 
inch  above  the  point  of  the  cuff,  to  be  of  the  same  color  as 
the  edging  on  the  coat. 

OVERCOATS, 

J"  For  all  non-commissioned  officers  and  men,. shall  be  sacks, 
made  of  waterproof  cotton. 

CRAVATS. 

•    Black,  light,  to  be  worn  loose. 

BOOTEES. 

For  both  officers  and  men,  {Cankle"  or  "Jefferson,"  witli 
broad  thick  soles. 

HORSE  FURNITURE. 

Housing  for  General  and  staff  officers,  shall  be  of  dark 
blue  cloth,  bound  with  black  leather  ;  for  regimental  field 
officers,  and  officers  of  mounted  corps,  the  same  as  for  gener- 
al and  staff  officers,  except  that  it  shall  have  a  border  of 
one  and  a  half  inckes  wide,  same  color  as  the  trimmings  of 
their  respective  corps  ;  this  border  to  be  set  back  one-quar- 
ter of  an  inch  from  tfye'edge. 

Holsters— black  slazed  leather  ;  the  pipes  to  have  plain 
brass  tips, 'extendingrap  two  and  a  half  inches. 
/'Bridles. — For  all^  officers,  shall  be  made  of  black  leather, 
with  brass  curb  bit.'- 

STAFF  OFFICERS  UNIFORM, 

Shall  be  the/samc  as  for  officers  of  the  same  rank  in  the 
line,  except  that  the  $>lume  shall  be  green  for  the  Medical 
corps,  yellow  for  the  Adjutant  General's  corps,  blue  for  the 
Quartermaster  General's  department,  and  blue  tipped  with 
red  for  the  Ordnance  corps,  and  that  the  coat  shall  be  with- 
out braid. 

4  /    TENTS. 

For  commissioned  officers,  the  wall  tent  ;  for  non-com- 
missioned officers  and  men,  the  tent  known  as  the  Frenck 
Bell  tent. 

«.  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

Ordered,  That  the  Governor  be  athorized  to  direct  the 
labor  of  the  Penitentiary  to  be  employed  as  far  as  practica- 
ble  and   advisable   in  the  manufacture  of  the  supplies  for 

my  of  Mississippi, 
the  nr 


II 


Ordered,  That  any  officer  who  has  been  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  army  of  Mississippi,  may  be  emplyed  to  mus- 
ter other  companies  into  the  service  of  the  State*. 

Ordered,  That  Richard  Griffith,  be  and  is  hereby  appoint- 
ed Adjutant  and  Inspector  General  of  the  army  of  Missis- 
sippi, and  authorized  to  have  printed  immediately  for  the 
use  of  the  Board,  blank  muster  rolls,  reports,  returns,  and 
other  prescribed  blanks. 

Ordered,  That  every  commissioned  or  non-commissioned 
officer,  and  every  private  who  shall  be  mentioned  in  general 
orders  as  distinguished  for  gallantry  in  battle,  shall  be  au- 
thorized to  wear  a  silver  star,  one  and  one-half  inches  in  di- 
ameter, on  the  left  breast  of  his  coat ;  and  that  the  same 
shall  be  furnished  to  him  by  the  Governor  of  the  State. 

i  Ordered,  That  Gene,  al  Van  Dorn  remain  on  active  ser- 
vice at  the  Seat  of  Government  to  aid  the  Governor  in  the 
execution  ot  the  various  orders  which  have  been  adopted  by 
this  Board  for  the  needful  preparation  of  the  army  of  Mis- 
sissippi to  take  the  field  for  active  service. 

*  *  *  #  *  -::-  *  -:;-  *-. 

Ordered,  That  the  orders  of  the  Military  Board  relating 
to  the  organization,  discipline,  dress,  arms,  and  equipments 
of  the  army  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  be  published  in  pam- 
phlet form  and  distributed  for  the  use  of  the  armv. 


Official. 


